'Shark Tank': Probiotic Maker founder can't 'fathom' why Sharks said NO, fans call it 'yogurt heating pad'

From a 'milk heating pad' to 'yogurt heating pad', probiotic Maker garnered some interesting reactions from fans
UPDATED APR 3, 2021
Merrick Maxfield, the founder of Probiotic Maker couldn't fathom why he didn't get a deal on 'Shark Tank' (ABC)
Merrick Maxfield, the founder of Probiotic Maker couldn't fathom why he didn't get a deal on 'Shark Tank' (ABC)

Merrick Maxwell, an entrepreneur from Utah, walked into the tank with a product that he believed was perfect in every sense- Probiotic Maker. He felt that his nifty innovation is not only good for one's health but also gives access to probiotics at an affordable price while being environmentally friendly.

Merrick came on 'Shark Tank' seeking $150K in exchange for a 7% stake in his company. Although Merrick was convinced that his product and pitch were too good to be passed upon, unfortunately for him the Sharks didn't share the same views. The Sharks noticed way too many red flags about not only the pitch but also the way the product was presented which prevented them from striking a deal with Merrick.

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Merrick Maxwell pitching for Probiotic Maker on 'Shark Tank' (ABC)

Merrick demonstrated the product and showed the Sharks just how easy it is to make probiotic yogurt at home. Lori Greiner was intrigued by it and asked him what were the probiotic cultures that the yogurt had since he was boasting of the yogurt having 11 cultures in it, as opposed to store-bought ones that had only about one or two cultures. Unfortunately, Merrick fumbled in answering Lori's question, which put her off from showing any further interest in the pitch.

Kevin O'Leary for his part was impressed by the $2.5 million valuation that the Probiotic Maker seemed to have. So, he wanted to know more about it. While discussing numbers, Merrick casually mentioned that he made only $18,000 in sales this year. Kevin and the other Sharks were immediately taken aback and felt that he made a huge mistake by over-evaluating his company.

Mark Cuban and the other Sharks weren't impressed by the Probiotic Maker pitch on 'Shark Tank' (ABC)

Also, the fact that the Probiotic Maker was a simple heating pad that was wrapped around a milk jug didn't particularly seem to appeal either to the Sharks or fans. So, at the end when Merrick didn't get any deal from the Sharks. He expressed how he couldn't 'fathom' why the Sharks would possibly pass up on such a wonderful product. Fans had several responses for him, from pointing out the rather simplistic design of the product to the over-evaluation, they listed out the many reasons why he didn't get a deal.

A fan tweeted, "A milk heating pad?? #SharkTank," on realizing that the Probiotic Maker was just a heating pad. Another fan echoed similar thoughts with, "It's a yogurt heating pad! #SharkTank." "That probiotic maker looks like a blood pressure cuff. Hahaha. @ABCSharkTank #SharkTank," joked a fan.



 



 



 

Another fan commented, "$100 for a blood pressure cuff/heating pad for yogurt???? I'm out...#SharkTank." "He just added some thickener. I'm not buy it. I'M OUT!! #SharkTank," shared a fan. ""I can't fathom why they wouldn't want a part of this." To be fair, he has $18K in sales and he valued the company at $2.5 million. #SharkTank," expressed a fan. another fan observed, "The first rule of sales is to KNOW YOUR PRODUCT. If you can't name the strains of probiotics it makes, that's not a good pitch. #SharkTank."



 



 



 



 

'Shark Tank' Season 12 airs every Friday at 8/7c only on ABC.

RELATED TOPICS SHARK TANK (2009)

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